Office 365 frequently asked questions

With Office 365 subscription plans you get the fully installed Office applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, and Access (Publisher and Access are available on PC only). You can install Office 365 across multiple devices, including PCs, Macs, Android tablets, Android phones, iPad, and iPhone. In addition, with Office 365 you get services like online storage with OneDrive and Skype minutes for home use. When you have an active Office 365 subscription, you always have the most up-to-date version of the Office applications.

Office as a one-time purchase includes applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint for use on a single PC or Mac. The applications are not automatically updated; to get the latest version, you must purchase Office again when the new version becomes available. Current Office application versions available for one-time purchase are Office 2016 for Windows and Mac.

The current version of Office supports PCs running Windows 7 or higher and Macs running Mac OS X 10.10 for Office 2016 for Mac. For more information, including requirements for iPad and Android tablets,

No. Office applications are tailored to work best on each platform and device. The Office applications available for Mac users and the version numbers may be different from those available for PC users.

Internet access is required to install and activate all the latest releases of Office suites and all Office 365 subscription plans. For Office 365 plans, Internet access is also needed to manage your subscription account, for example to install Office on other PCs or to change billing options. Internet access is also required to access documents stored on OneDrive, unless you install the OneDrive desktop app. You should also connect to the Internet regularly to keep your version of Office up to date and benefit from automatic upgrades. If you do not connect to the Internet at least every 39 days, your applications will go into reduced functionality mode, which means that you can view or print your documents, but cannot edit the documents or create new ones. To reactivate your Office applications, simply reconnect to the Internet.

You do not need to be connected to the Internet to use the Office applications, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, because the applications are fully installed on your computer.

Your Microsoft account is the combination of an email address and password that you use to sign in to services like Hotmail, OneDrive, Windows Phone, Xbox LIVE, and Outlook.com. If you use any of these services, you already have a Microsoft account that you can use, or you can create a new account. Learn more about a Microsoft account. As part of signing up for a trial or purchasing Office, you will be prompted to sign in with a Microsoft account. You must be signed in with this account to install and manage your Office software, or to use some subscription benefits, including OneDrive storage and Skype minutes.

Install and start

You do not need to install anything to use Office 365. To help you easily connect desktop version of Office, Office 2010 or Office 2007 with Office 365 latest, Microsoft gives Office 365 customers a software installation-called "Office Desktop Setup" - free. Office Desktop Setup provides many benefits, including: - Automatic detection of necessary updates. - Installing updates and components upon approval or from the command line. - Automatically configures Outlook and Skype for Business for use with Microsoft Office 365. - Uninstall from the client itself after running. You can find and install Office Desktop Setup in the administrative center of the pack Office 365. If you have registered Office, you can install directly from the Office 365 admin center.

If you have installed Office on the maximum number of PCs, Macs, or tablets and want to use Office on a different device, you can deactivate a device by visiting website, after which you can install Office on a new device. The copy of Office on the device you deactivated will revert to read-only mode, which means documents can be viewed but not edited. You will not lose any documents that are saved locally on the original device.

Office 365 customers with an active subscription always get the newest versions of the Office applications when they are available. When we release a new version of Office, you will be notified that you have the option to update your software to the latest version.

Get the core Office experience for free on your favorite tablets and phones. To find and download apps, visit the following pages: Office for iPad, Office for iPhone, Office for Android tablet, and Office for Android phone. For Word, Excel, and PowerPoint apps, get premium features with an eligible Office 365 subscription. For information about the premium features for mobile devices that are available with Office 365.

The actual download speed of Office depends on the speed of your Internet connection; a broadband Internet connection is recommended for the best download experience. All versions of the new Office for Windows PCs use a streaming technology that lets you begin to use Office applications before installation is complete.

Office 365 Business, Business Essentials, and Business Premium supports Windows Vista and Windows XP for most web-based functionality. However not support the download and use the latest version of Office software, and you can not replace Office 2010 with the latest version. You can connect software Office 2010 or Office 2007 is Office 365 services, but if you are running Windows Vista or Windows XP, you can not install software Office 365 Business, Business Essentials, and Business Premium, nor can replace Office 365 Business Premium software with Office 2010 downloads.